Major Statements and Messages of H.E. Mr. Amara Essy Interim Chairperson of the commission of the African Union: A Vision of the African Union

The Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity meeting in their 37th Ordinary Session in Lusaka, Zambia, in July 2001, elected Mr. Amara Essy, a seasoned diplomat and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Secretary General of the Continental organization with the specific mandate to manage the transition of the OA U to the African Union, over a period of one year, on the basis of Lusaka Decision AHG/Dec.160 (XXVII). Upon assuming office on 17 September 200 l, Mr. Essy initiated a number of actions to fulfill the crucial mission entrusted to him. These included necessary consultations within the General Secretariat and with Member States with a view to formulating the draft Rules of Procedure and the Statutes of the key organs of the Union, namely: the Assembly, the Executive Council, the Permanent Representatives' Committee and the Commission. Concurrently, he took appropriate measures to incorporate into the Union, the Central Organ of the Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Mechanism, and reorient the programmes and budgetary resources in pursuance of the transition to the African Union. AlI these measures and many others undertaken within this context had one sole focus: the launch of the African Union within the prescribed time frame.